Voices at the “Rising Together Against Poverty Conference”

A panel of people with lived experience of poverty spoke eloquently at the ‘Rising Together Against Poverty: Building Hope, Demanding Action’ conference on 2 September 2025. This conference was organised by the Anti-Poverty Strategy Group and supported by NIAPN, Barnardo’s NI, Trussell, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, East Belfast Mission, Save the Children and Women’s Support Network.

Jenni Lindsay, a member of the Foyle Foundation Network’s campaigns group, spoke about her experience and the ways in which the lack of support for herself and her child with disabilities has forced her into poverty.

My name is Jenni and I am involved in the campaigns group with the Foyle Network Foundation.

A few years ago I had come back from living in the United States, and I wasn’t entitled to any help or government support. 

With my 3 year old disabled child not getting a nursery place, working wasn’t an option. 

I reached out to community foodbanks and programmes in community centres. 

I began working as a SEN assistant yet it was going backwards, I was getting into a lot of debt trying to work, pay for childcare all running on limited sleep. It was either sacrifice my mental and physical health or leave my job, for everyone’s sake I chose the latter. 

Around Easter, I came to the foodbank needing support and they helped me set up a plan. 

With their support I joined the legislative theatre, participated in their food and mood groups, went to Westminster with Trussell to meet MPs and talk about the essentials guarantee. Then, I spoke in public for the first time ever at the Foyle Network Foundation’s AGM and here I am today.

Getting involved with the Foyle Network Foundation campaigns has validated my concerns. The opportunities to get involved and campaign to make the change has helped majorly gave a chance raise awareness in the challenges in caring. 

If there was one thing that I would change, it would be the structure of carers allowance. Personally I think its is a farce. £83 a week, that is £2.37 an hour – yet for most carers it’s 24/7. For it to get deducted off my benefits.

There is no respite available. The trust has allocated hours and funds, but in my area there are no agencies that will accept my sons needs. No programmes beyond his school, and when he’s 18 the barriers are just going to get higher.

It was ingrained into me that education was freedom, I pursed an undergraduate followed by a masters in behaviour psychology. Working is out the question for me as it stands, let alone a career. 

Caring for a disabled person shouldn’t mean a life sentence of exhaustion and isolation. We’re aren’t expecting luxury, but we absolutely deserve basic fairness & dignity.”

Jenni Lindsay is a mother of two living in Derry. She is a campaigner with the Foyle Foundation Network. She has participated in anti-poverty campaigns advocating the Essentials Guarantee, and the re-instatement of the School Holiday Food Grant. She has been to Westminster with Trussell and the Foyle Foundation Network and has spoken at multiple events.